Artist

Nationality

Artist Dates

Title of Work

Preview

Date of Work

1886

Medium

Hand-colored wood engraving

Gift/Purchase Information

Gift of Arthur F. Jones

Collection/Provenance

Art & Design Study Collection

Status

Displayed

Location

University House

Additional Information

Charles Graham began his career traveling across the northern frontier as a topographer for the Northern Pacific Railroad. He went on to become a professional illustrator, producing scenes of life from around the nation for the illustrated magazine, Harper’s Weekly. This scene, from the early days of European settlement in the Dakotas, shows the hardship homesteaders faced on the northern plains. Diminutive figures hastily fortify their insubstantial dwellings while ominous clouds buildon the wintry horizon.